Device and method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside toilet bowl under bidet seat

ABSTRACT

Proposed is a device and method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat, which enables the use of a bidet in a clean state at all times by automatically spraying purified or sterilized water into the toilet bowl by recognizing illuminance in a bidet installation space by means of an optical sensor, utilizing integrally the illuminance and time, or using a seat interlocking mechanism. According to the device and method, purified water is generated when light is detected in dark conditions in order to perform primary cleaning of the toilet bowl, and sterilized water is generated when illuminance changes from a level representing the bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions in order to perform secondary cleaning of the toilet bowl.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0020643, filed Feb. 17, 2022, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to automatic sterilization and cleaning of the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat and, more particularly, to a device and method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat, which enables the use of the bidet seat in a clean state at all times by automatically spraying purified or sterilized water into the toilet bowl by recognizing illuminance in a bidet installation space by means of an optical sensor, integrally utilizing the illuminance and time, or using a seat interlocking mechanism.

Description of the Related Art

In general, a bidet seat (hereinafter referred to as a bidet) is a device that is installed on a sanitary ware (toilet bowl) to help wash a user's anus and genitalia with a stream of water sprayed from a nozzle after defecation or urination, and to dry water leftover with warm air supplied from a dryer. Since the bidet is a device for cleaning off the user's anus or perineal area, cleanliness is inevitably a very sensitive issue.

The inside of a toilet bowl is a space full of germs, so it is necessary to manually clean the bowl separately using disinfectant chemicals to eradicate germs inside the bowl.

Yet, manual cleaning and sterilization using these chemicals not only cause inconvenience to users but also waste time.

Thus, there is a need for a technology that automatically cleans and sterilizes the inside of the toilet bowl to enable the use of a bidet that is always clean.

Meanwhile, a conventional technology related to a bidet with a sterilization function is disclosed in “Patent Document 0001” below.

The conventional technology disclosed in “Patent Document 0001” consists of: a natural sterilizing material storage part that stores natural sterilizing material; a volatilization part that volatilizes the natural sterilizing material into the air; a seating detection sensor that detects the sitting of a user to generate a seating detection signal; and a control unit that generates a control signal on the basis of the seating detection signal and outputs the control signal to the volatilization part.

Based on this configuration, a natural sterilization device is actuated by the seating detection signal to keep the bidet clean.

However, in this case, since a natural sterilizing material is additionally required, it is inconvenient to have to replenish the natural sterilizing material. In addition, there is a disadvantage that the inside of the toilet bowl cannot be sterilized.

Documents of Related Art

-   (Patent Document 0001) Korean Patent Application Publication No.     10-2016-0114778 (Published Oct. 6, 2016) “BIDET WITH STERILIZATION     FUNCTION”

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present disclosure has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and the present disclosure is intended to provide a device and method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat, which enables the use of a bidet in a clean state at all times by automatically spraying purified or sterilized water into the toilet bowl by recognizing illuminance in a bidet installation space by means of an optical sensor, utilizing integrally the illuminance and time, or using a seat interlocking mechanism.

In order to achieve the above objective, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat, the device including: an operation part configured to input a bidet operation or cleaning operation; a seating sensor configured to detect seating; an optical sensor configured to detect illuminance of a space where the bidet seat is installed; a purified/sterilized water generation part configured to generate purified and sterilized water using water supply; a control unit configured to control the bidet operation or cleaning operation according to the bidet operation or cleaning operation operated by the operation part, and control an injection of sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl based on a seating detection signal of the seating sensor, an illuminance detection signal of the optical sensor, and time measured by an internal timer; a flow controller configured to adjust flow rate of purified water or sterilized water according to a control of the control unit; and a spray nozzle part configured to spray purified water or sterilized water supplied through the flow controller into the toilet bowl.

The purified/sterilized water generation part may generate purified water by filtering introduced raw water with a water filter, and may generate sterilized water by electrolyzing the introduced raw water.

When an illuminance change is detected, under the control of the control unit, a first cleaning may be performed by spraying purified water into the toilet bowl before the bidet seat is used, and a secondary sterilization and cleaning may be performed by spraying sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl after the bidet seat is used.

The control unit may check a lapse of a set time using the internal timer after having an inside of the toilet bowl washed by spraying purified water on the basis of an illuminance change detected by using the optical sensor, and when the set time elapsed, may initiate spraying of purified water or sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a predetermined period of time to automatically sterilize and clean the inside of the toilet bowl.

The control unit may initiate the injection of purified water into the toilet bowl for a set time to automatically clean the inside of the toilet bowl when a set period of time elapses after the seating is detected and then cancelled by the seating sensor.

In order to achieve the above objective, there is provided a first embodiment of a method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat. The first embodiment of the method includes: (a) generating purified water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor; and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time, wherein in the (a), the optical sensor may detect the illuminance change, and when the illuminance changes from a level representing bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions, sterilized water may be generated using water supply, and in the (b), the generated sterilized water may be sprayed into the toilet bowl for the set period of time to clean the toilet bowl.

In order to achieve the above objective, there is provided a second embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat. The second embodiment of the method includes: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.

In order to achieve the above objective, there is provided a third embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat. The third embodiment of the method includes: (a) generating purified water using water supply when a set period of time elapses after seating is detected and then cancelled by a seating sensor; and (b) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.

In order to achieve the above objective, there is provided a fourth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat. The fourth embodiment of the method includes: (a) generating sterilized water or purified water using water supply when darkness is detected in bright conditions due to an approach of a human body during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor; and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.

In order to achieve the above objective, there is provided a fifth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat. The fifth embodiment of the method includes: (a) checking a lapse of time and confirms whether a set specific time has reached when a bidet power is turned on or time is reset by an initialization button; (b) generating sterilized water or purified water using water supply when the set specific time arrives as a result of the confirmation; and (c) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to use a bidet in a clean state at all times by automatically spraying purified or sterilized water into a toilet bowl by recognizing illuminance in a bidet installation space by means of an optical sensor, utilizing integrally the illuminance and time, or using a seat interlocking mechanism.

Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, by automatically cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl with purified or sterilized water generated using the water originate from water supply without using cleaning chemicals, it is possible to improve user convenience by solving the problem of inconvenience and time wasting caused by a user having to manually clean the inside of the toilet bowl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives, features, and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a fourth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a fifth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a device and method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The terms or words used in the present disclosure described below should not be construed as being limited to ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical spirit of the present disclosure based on the principle that the inventor may properly define the concept of terms in order to explain his/her invention in the best way, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and do not represent all of the technical spirit of the present disclosure, and thus it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and variations that may replace them at the time of this application.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. The device may include a water supply part 101, a purified/sterilized water generation part 102, an optical sensor 103, a seating sensor 104, an operation part 105, a control unit 106, a heater part 107, a flow controller 108, a nozzle drive part 109, and a spray nozzle part 110.

The water supply part 101 serves to supply water for generating purified or sterilized water.

The purified/sterilized water generation part 102 serves to generate purified water and sterilized water using the water supplied through the water supply part 101.

The purified/sterilized water generation part 102 may generate purified water by filtering the introduced raw water with a water filter, and generate sterilized water by electrolyzing the introduced raw water.

At this time, sterilized water may be generated using various methods known in the art that can generate sterilized water without using additional chemicals other than the above-described electrolysis method.

The operation part 105 serves to generate a key signal for inputting a bidet operation or a cleaning operation. The operation part 105 may further include a plurality of function keys for inputting functions performed in a typical bidet in addition to the above-mentioned operation keys.

The seating sensor 104 serves to detect seating, and is a sensor that detects whether a user is sitting on a seating portion for use of a bidet.

The optical sensor 103 serves to detect illuminance of a space where the bidet is installed.

The control unit 106 controls the bidet operation or cleaning operation through the bidet operation or cleaning operation initiated by the operation part 105, and controls an injection of sterilized water or purified water into a toilet bowl on the basis of a seating detection signal of the seating sensor 104, an illuminance detection signal of the optical sensor 103, and the time measured by an internal timer.

The control unit 106 may use a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a controller, or the like.

When a change in illuminance is detected by the optical sensor 103, the control unit 106 may control spraying of purified water into the toilet bowl before the use of the bidet to perform primary cleaning, and control spraying of sterilized water or purified water into the toilet after the use of the bidet to perform secondary sterilization and cleaning.

In addition, after controlling the spraying of sterilizing water or purified water based on the detection of the change in illuminance by the optical sensor 103 to clean the inside of the toilet bowl, the control unit 106 may check the lapse of the set time using the internal timer, and control automatic sterilizing and cleaning of the inside of the toilet bowl by spraying purified water or sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a predetermined period of time when the set time has elapsed.

Moreover, after the seating is detected and then cancelled by the seating sensor 104, and after a set period of time elapses, the control unit 106 may control the injection of purified water into the toilet bowl for a predetermined period of time to automatically clean the inside of the toilet bowl.

The first cleaning operation that cleans the inside of the toilet bowl based on the detection of the optical sensor, the second cleaning operation that cleans the inside of the toilet bowl based on integration of the information detected by the optical sensor and information obtained using the timer, and the third cleaning operation that cleans the inside of the toilet bowl based on the detection of the seating sensor may be performed independently, or the first to third cleaning operations may be performed in conjunction with each other.

The heater part 107 serves to heat the purified water or sterilized water generated in the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 to a set temperature under the control of the control unit 106.

The flow controller 108 serves to regulate the flow rate of purified or sterilized water under the control of the control unit 106, and the nozzle drive part 109 serves to move the position of a spray nozzle for spraying purified or sterilized water into the toilet bowl.

In the spray nozzle part 110, the injection position is adjusted according to the driving of the nozzle drive part 109, and the spray nozzle part 110 serves to spray the purified water or sterilized water supplied through the flow controller 108 into the toilet bowl.

The operation of the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure configured as described above will be described in detail as follows.

First, in a space where the bidet is installed, the optical sensor 103 detects the change in illuminance of the bidet installation space and transmits the detected information to the control unit 106.

The control unit 106 compares an illuminance value obtained by using the optical sensor 103 with a reference illuminance value to determine whether a change in illuminance is detected.

Assuming that the space where the bidet is installed is a bathroom, and the user turns on the light to use the bathroom, conditions of the bidet installation space changes from dark to bright.

The control unit 106 checks the illuminance value detected through the optical sensor 103, and when it is determined that the illuminance of the space has changed from a level representing the dark conditions to a level representing the bright conditions, the control unit 106 predicts that the user will use the bidet and operates the water supply part 101 and the purified/sterilized water generation part 102.

The purified/sterilized water generation part 102 generates purified water by filtering the water supplied from the water supply part 101 with a water filter, and generates sterilized water through electrolysis. The sterilized water may be generated using supplied raw water, or may be generated using purified water.

The purified water generated in this way is supplied to the flow controller 108, and the flow controller 108 adjusts the flow rate of purified water for cleaning under the control of the control unit 106 and supplies the purified water to the spray nozzle.

At this time, the control unit 106 controls the nozzle drive part 109 to move the spray nozzle to the cleaning position inside the toilet bowl.

Subsequently, the spray nozzle part 110 sprays the purified water supplied through the flow controller 108 into the toilet bowl using the spray nozzle to clean the inside of the toilet bowl before using the bidet.

In this way, as the first cleaning is performed using purified water on the inside of the toilet bowl before using the bidet, dirt attached to the inside of the toilet bowl is washed away and the inside of the toilet bowl is wetted with water so that the user can use a clean bidet and at the same time dirt flows down easily afterwards to prevent dirt from sticking to the inside of the toilet bowl.

Spraying purified water into the toilet bowl before using the bidet is performed only for a preset period of time by the control unit 106.

After the preset period of time, water supply is controlled to be automatically turned off and purified/sterilized water generation is controlled to be automatically stopped.

As described above, after automatic cleaning of the inside of the toilet bowl prior to the use of the bidet by the user, the optical sensor 103 detects a change of illuminance when the user ends using the bidet and turns off the bathroom light. In fact, the optical sensor continuously detects the illuminance as long as power is supplied.

The control unit 106 continuously checks the illuminance value detected by using the optical sensor 103, and determines that the user has finished using the bidet when the detected illuminance changes from a level representing the bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions.

Then, when it is determined that the user has finished using the bidet as described above, the control unit 106 operates the water supply part 101 and the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 to clean the inside of the toilet bowl.

The purified/sterilized water generation part 102 generates purified water by filtering the water supplied from the water supply part 101 with a water filter, and generates sterilized water through electrolysis. The sterilized water may be generated using supplied raw water, or may be generated using purified water.

The sterilized water generated in this way is supplied to the flow controller 108, and the flow controller 108 adjusts the flow rate of sterilized water for cleaning under the control of the control unit 106 and supplies the sterilized water to the spray nozzle.

At this time, the control unit 106 controls the nozzle drive part 109 to move the spray nozzle to the cleaning position inside the toilet bowl.

Subsequently, the spray nozzle part 110 sprays the sterilized water supplied through the flow controller 108 into the toilet bowl by using the spray nozzle to clean the inside of the toilet bowl after the bidet is used to perform sterilization and cleaning.

As such, according to the present disclosure, when the user is predicted to use the bidet, the inside of the toilet bowl is first cleaned with purified water, and after the user uses the bidet, the inside of the toilet bowl is cleaned second with sterilized water on the basis of the illuminance change in the bidet installation space detected by using the optical sensor. Thus, by keeping the bidet clean at all times even without using cleaning chemicals, it is possible to avoid user inconvenience and time wastage due to manual toilet bowl cleaning while improving sanitary conditions.

Meanwhile, although toilet bowl hygiene, especially the inside thereof, may be maintained on the basis of the illuminance change detected by using the optical sensor as described above, it is possible to further optimize the sanitary conditions of the bidet by using the optical sensor and time.

That is, the control unit 106 checks the lapse of time using the internal timer after having the inside of the toilet bowl washed on the basis of the illuminance change detected by using the optical sensor.

Then, when the time elapsed after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl reaches a preset time (e.g., 12 hours, 24 hours), the control unit 106 automatically initializes the timer, and controls the spraying of purified or sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a predetermined period of time to automatically sterilize and clean the inside of the toilet bowl.

In addition, as another example, after the seating is detected and then cancelled by the seating sensor 104, and after a set period of time passes, the control unit 106 controls the injection of purified water into the toilet bowl for a predetermined period of time to automatically clean the inside of the toilet bowl.

Through these various methods of cleaning and sterilizing the inside of the toilet bowl, cleanliness and sterilization state of the toilet bowl is always optimally maintained, so that the user may use a bidet that is hygienically safe and always clean.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure. The first embodiment of the method may include: (a) generating, under the control of the control unit 106, purified water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions during detection of illuminance change by using the optical sensor 103 (S101-S106); and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time (S107-S109).

In the step (a), the optical sensor 103 detects the illuminance change, and when the illuminance changes from a level representing the bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions, sterilized water is generated using water supply, and in the step (b), the generated sterilized water may be sprayed into the toilet bowl for a set period of time to clean the toilet bowl.

The first embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure carried out as described above will be described in detail.

First, at the place where the bidet is installed, the optical sensor 103 detects the change in illuminance of the bidet installation space and transmits the detected information to the control unit 106 (S101).

The control unit 106 compares an illuminance value obtained by using the optical sensor 103 with a reference illuminance value to determine whether a change in illuminance is detected (S102). Assuming that the space where the bidet is installed is a bathroom, and the user turns on the light to use the bathroom, conditions of the bidet installation space changes from dark to bright.

The control unit 106 checks the illuminance value detected through the optical sensor 103, and when it is determined that the illuminance of the space has changed from a level representing the dark conditions to a level representing the bright conditions, the control unit 106 predicts that the user will use the bidet, and controls the nozzle drive part 109 to move the spray nozzle to the cleaning position inside the toilet bowl (S104).

Then, the control unit 106 operates the water supply part 101 and the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 (S105-S106).

The purified/sterilized water generation part 102 generates purified water by filtering the water supplied from the water supply part 101 with a water filter, and generates sterilized water through electrolysis. The sterilized water may be generated using supplied raw water, or may be generated using purified water.

The purified water generated in this way is supplied to the flow controller 108, and the flow controller 108 adjusts the flow rate of purified water for cleaning under the control of the control unit 106 and supplies the purified water to the spray nozzle.

Then, the spray nozzle part 110 sprays the purified water supplied through the flow controller 108 into the toilet bowl using the spray nozzle to clean the inside of the toilet bowl before the user uses the bidet (S107).

Thereafter, when the injection time of purified water passes a predetermined period of time, the injection is automatically terminated (S108-S109). When the injection is terminated, purified/sterilized water generation is stopped and water supply is turned off.

In this way, as the first cleaning is performed using purified water on the inside of the toilet bowl before using the bidet, dirt attached to the inside of the toilet bowl is washed away and the inside of the toilet bowl is wetted with water so that the user can use a clean bidet and at the same time dirt flows down easily afterwards to prevent dirt from sticking to the inside of the toilet bowl.

As described above, after automatic cleaning of the inside of the toilet bowl prior to the use of the bidet by the user, the optical sensor 103 detects a change of illuminance when the user ends using the bidet and turns off the toilet light. In fact, the optical sensor continuously detects the illuminance as long as power is supplied.

The control unit 106 continuously checks the illuminance value detected by using the optical sensor 103, and determines that the user has finished using the bidet when the detected illuminance changes from a level representing the bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions.

Then, the control unit 106 controls the nozzle drive part 109 to move the spray nozzle to the cleaning position inside the toilet bowl (S104).

Subsequently, the control unit 106 controls the water supply part 101 and the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 to operate (S105-S106).

The purified/sterilized water generation part 102 generates sterilized water through electrolysis of the water supplied from the water supply part 101. The sterilized water may be generated using supplied raw water, or may be generated using purified water.

The purified water generated in this way is supplied to the flow controller 108, and the flow controller 108 adjusts the flow rate of purified water for cleaning under the control of the control unit 106 and supplies the purified water to the spray nozzle.

Then, the spray nozzle part 110 sprays the sterilized water supplied through the flow controller 108 into the toilet bowl by using the spray nozzle to clean the inside of the toilet bowl after the bidet is used to perform sterilization and cleaning (S107-S109).

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure. The second embodiment of the method may include: (a) generating, under the control of the control unit 106, purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using the optical sensor 103, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl (S201-S202); (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking the lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change (S203-S206); and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time (S207-S209).

The second embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure carried out as described above will be described in detail.

First, under the control of the control unit 106, purified water or sterilized water is generated using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by the optical sensor 103, so that the inside of the toilet bowl is cleaned (S201-S202). At this time, the process of generating purified or sterilized water to clean the inside of the toilet bowl is performed in the same manner as shown in FIG. 2 .

Then, after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change is performed, the control unit 106 checks the lapse of time and when the time elapsed after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl reaches a preset time, initializes the timer, and moves the spray nozzle to the spray position inside the toilet bowl (S204). At this time, the preset time may be 12 hours or 24 hours.

Next, the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 generates sterilized water using the water supply (S205-S206).

Then, the spray nozzle part 110 sprays the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a period of time to automatically clean the inside of the toilet bowl (S207).

When the injection time of sterilized water passes a predetermined period of time, the injection is automatically terminated (S208-S209). When the injection is terminated, purified/sterilized water generation is stopped and water supply is turned off.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure. The third embodiment of the method may include: (a) generating, under the control of the control unit 106, purified water using water supply when a set period of time passes after the seating is detected and then cancelled by the seating sensor 104 (S301-S305); and (b) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time (S306-S308).

The third embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure carried out as described above will be described in detail.

When the seating is detected by the seating sensor 104 (S301), the control unit 106 determines that the bidet is used and controls the bidet according to an operation command through the operation part 105.

Then, when the seating is cancelled in a state in which the seating is detected (S302), and a set period of time passes, the control unit 106 controls the nozzle drive part 109 to move the spray nozzle to the toilet bowl cleaning position in order to clean the inside of the toilet bowl (S304).

Next, purified water generation using water supply is performed (S305-S306), and the generated purified water is sprayed into the toilet bowl for a set period of time, and the toilet bowl is automatically cleaned (S307).

Thereafter, when the injection time of purified water passes a predetermined period of time, the injection is automatically terminated (S308). When the injection is terminated, purified/sterilized water generation is stopped and water supply is turned off.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a fourth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure. The fourth embodiment of the method may include: (a) generating, under the control of the control unit 106, sterilized water or purified water using water supply when darkness is detected in bright conditions due to an approach of a human body during detection of illuminance change by using the optical sensor 103 (S401-S405); (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time (S406-S408).

The fourth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure carried out as described above will be described in detail.

First, at the place where the bidet is installed, the optical sensor 103 detects the illuminance change of the bidet installation space and transmits the detected information to the control unit 106 (S401).

The control unit 106 compares an illuminance value obtained by using the optical sensor 103 with a reference illuminance value to determine whether a change in illuminance is detected.

The control unit 106 checks the illuminance value detected through the optical sensor 103, and when it is determined that the illuminance change is detected, checks whether the illuminance has changed from a level representing the bright conditions.

When the human body approaches the bidet in the bright conditions where the bidet is installed, the change in illuminance is detected and the detected illuminance changes from a level representing the bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions.

Thus, in this case, the control unit 106 predicts that the user will use the bidet and controls the nozzle drive part 109 to move the spray nozzle to the cleaning position inside the toilet bowl (S403).

Then, the control unit 106 operates the water supply part 101 and the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 (S404-S405).

That is, the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 generates purified water by filtering the water supplied from the water supply part 101 with a water filter, and generates sterilized water through electrolysis. The sterilized water may be generated using supplied raw water, or may be generated using purified water.

The purified water or sterilized water generated in this way is supplied to the flow controller 108, and the flow controller 108 adjusts the flow rate of purified water or sterilized water for cleaning under the control of the control unit 106 and supplies the purified water to the spray nozzle.

Then, the spray nozzle part 110 sprays the purified water or sterilized water supplied through the flow controller 108 into the toilet bowl using the spray nozzle to clean the inside of the toilet bowl before the user uses the bidet (S406).

Thereafter, when the injection time of purified water or sterilized water passes a predetermined period of time, the injection is automatically terminated (S407-S408). When the injection is terminated, purified/sterilized water generation is stopped and water supply is turned off.

In this way, by predicting the use of the bidet by means of the optical sensor and human body detection, and then cleaning the toilet bowl with sterilized water or purified water prior to the use of the bidet, the user may use the bidet comfortably.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a fifth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure. The fifth embodiment of the method may include: (a) checking, by the control unit 106, the lapse of time and confirms whether it has reached a set specific time when the bidet power is turned on or the time is reset by an initialization button (S501-S503); (b) generating sterilized water or purified water using water supply when the specific time arrives as a result of the confirmation (S504-S506); and (c) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time (S507-S509).

The fifth embodiment of the method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat according to the present disclosure carried out as described above will be described in detail.

First, the control unit 106 checks the lapse of time using the internal timer when power is supplied to the bidet or time reset occurs by the initialization button (S501-S502).

Then, as a result of confirming the lapse of the time, when a predetermined specific time (e.g., 12 hours or 24 hours) arrives after power is supplied or after time reset, the control unit 106 controls the nozzle drive part 109 to move the spray nozzle to the cleaning position inside the toilet bowl (S504). Here, 12 hours or 24 hours has been described as an example as a specific time, but this is merely an example and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific time may be changed to various time frames.

Next, the water supply part 101 and the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 are operated (S504-S506).

That is, the purified/sterilized water generation part 102 generates purified water by filtering the water supplied from the water supply part 101 with a water filter, and generates sterilized water through electrolysis. The sterilized water may be generated using supplied raw water, or may be generated using purified water.

The purified water or sterilized water generated in this way is supplied to the flow controller 108, and the flow controller 108 adjusts the flow rate of purified water or sterilized water for cleaning under the control of the control unit 106 and supplies the purified water to the spray nozzle.

Then, the spray nozzle part 110 sprays the purified water or sterilized water supplied through the flow controller 108 into the toilet bowl using the spray nozzle to clean the inside of the toilet bowl at regular time intervals (S507).

Thereafter, when the injection time of purified water or sterilized water passes a predetermined period of time, the injection is automatically terminated (S508-S509). When the injection is terminated, purified/sterilized water generation is stopped and water supply is turned off.

In this way, by automatically cleaning the toilet bowl at regular intervals, it is possible to maintain optimal hygiene at all times.

According to the present disclosure described above, by cleaning and sterilizing with purified water or sterilized water without using any cleaning chemicals on the basis of the illuminance change in a bidet installation space by means of an optical sensor, it is possible to keep the bidet clean at all times to improve the hygienic environment and prevent the user from wasting time and inconvenience caused by manual toilet cleaning.

Furthermore, by controlling the cleaning and sterilization of the toilet bowl by interlocking the illuminance change with time, it is possible to maintain the cleanliness of the bidet and a state in which germs are eradicated even when the bidet is not used for a ling time.

Similarly, by automatically cleaning and sterilizing the inside of the toilet bowl with sterilized water in conjunction with the detection result of the seating sensor, inconvenience and time wastage due to manual toilet cleaning by the user is prevented.

Although the present disclosure has been specifically described with the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the gist thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat, comprising: an operation part configured to input a bidet operation or cleaning operation; a seating sensor configured to detect seating; an optical sensor configured to detect illuminance of a space where the bidet seat is installed; a purified/sterilized water generation part configured to generate purified and sterilized water using water supply; a control unit configured to control the bidet operation or cleaning operation according to the bidet operation or cleaning operation operated by the operation part, and control an injection of sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl based on a seating detection signal of the seating sensor, an illuminance detection signal of the optical sensor, and time measured by an internal timer; a flow controller configured to adjust flow rate of purified water or sterilized water according to a control of the control unit; and a spray nozzle part configured to spray purified water or sterilized water supplied through the flow controller into the toilet bowl.
 2. The device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, wherein the purified/sterilized water generation part generates purified water by filtering introduced raw water with a water filter, and generates sterilized water by electrolyzing the introduced raw water.
 3. The device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, wherein when an illuminance change is detected, under the control of the control unit, a first cleaning is performed by spraying purified water into the toilet bowl before the bidet seat is used, and a secondary sterilization and cleaning is performed by spraying sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl after the bidet seat is used.
 4. The device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, wherein the control unit checks a lapse of a set time using the internal timer after having an inside of the toilet bowl washed by spraying purified water on the basis of an illuminance change detected by using the optical sensor, and when the set time elapsed, initiates spraying of purified water or sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a predetermined period of time to automatically sterilize and clean the inside of the toilet bowl.
 5. The device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, wherein the control unit initiates the injection of purified water into the toilet bowl for a set time to automatically clean the inside of the toilet bowl when a set period of time elapses after the seating is detected and then cancelled by the seating sensor.
 6. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor; and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time, wherein in the (a), the optical sensor detects the illuminance change, and when the illuminance changes from a level representing bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions, sterilized water is generated using water supply, and in the (b), the generated sterilized water is sprayed into the toilet bowl for the set period of time to clean the toilet bowl.
 7. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 8. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water using water supply when a set period of time elapses after seating is detected and then cancelled by a seating sensor; and (b) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 9. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, the method comprising: (a) generating sterilized water or purified water using water supply when darkness is detected in bright conditions due to an approach of a human body during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor; and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 10. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 1, the method comprising: (a) checking a lapse of time and confirms whether a set specific time has reached when a bidet power is turned on or time is reset by an initialization button; (b) generating sterilized water or purified water using water supply when the set specific time arrives as a result of the confirmation; and (c) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water or purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 11. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 2, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor; and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time, wherein in the (a), the optical sensor detects the illuminance change, and when the illuminance changes from a level representing bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions, sterilized water is generated using water supply, and in the (b), the generated sterilized water is sprayed into the toilet bowl for the set period of time to clean the toilet bowl.
 12. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 3, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor; and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time, wherein in the (a), the optical sensor detects the illuminance change, and when the illuminance changes from a level representing bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions, sterilized water is generated using water supply, and in the (b), the generated sterilized water is sprayed into the toilet bowl for the set period of time to clean the toilet bowl.
 13. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 4, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor; and (b) cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time, wherein in the (a), the optical sensor detects the illuminance change, and when the illuminance changes from a level representing bright conditions to a level representing the dark conditions, sterilized water is generated using water supply, and in the (b), the generated sterilized water is sprayed into the toilet bowl for the set period of time to clean the toilet bowl.
 14. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 2, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 15. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 3, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 16. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 4, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 17. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 2, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 18. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 3, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 19. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 4, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water or sterilized water using water supply when light is detected in dark conditions or darkness is detected in bright conditions during detection of illuminance change by using an optical sensor, and cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl; (b) generating sterilized water using water supply when a preset period of time has elapsed as a result of checking a lapse of time after cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl on the basis of illuminance change; and (c) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated sterilized water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time.
 20. A method for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat by using the device for automatically sterilizing and cleaning inside of a toilet bowl under a bidet seat of claim 2, the method comprising: (a) generating purified water using water supply when a set period of time elapses after seating is detected and then cancelled by a seating sensor; and (b) automatically cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying the generated purified water into the toilet bowl for a set period of time. 